


Sketches

by Anonymous033



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F, Mentioned Felicity Smoak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 09:30:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4095883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous033/pseuds/Anonymous033
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Coffee shops are not my usual haunt,” Nyssa responded. “I was having a bad day, and I decided that a professionally made hot chocolate would be of more comfort than a homemade one.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sketches

Nyssa hated coffee.

She was much more of a tea drinker; had always loved the process of steeping a tea bag in hot water and then adding milk to the mug until the liquid was just the right shade of golden. Coffee didn’t appeal to her, and that was why she had heretofore found no reason to visit the coffee shop adjacent to her workplace.

Her co-worker had been raving that very morning about a hot-chocolate drink that the coffee shop sold, though. Nyssa loved hot chocolate—not enough to drop by the coffee shop on a regular day, perhaps, but certainly enough to embrace the idea on the particular day she was having.

With that thought in mind, she pushed open the glass door of the tiny establishment and stepped inside. The coffee shop was quiet and had a relaxed atmosphere to it; it was an independent venture, she presumed.

The girl behind the counter looked up and smiled—Nyssa halted for a split second before approaching.

“What can I get you?” the barista prompted.

“My colleague recommended me a certain drink—” Nyssa started. “Cinnamon hot chocolate, I believe she called it.”

“Right,” the barista answered slowly. “What size would you like? And would you like that for here or to go?”

“Oh.” Nyssa felt her cheeks heat up. “A medium, please. And…”

And therein lay the hitch.

She was quite ready to take the hot chocolate and make a quick escape, but—

The girl behind the counter had really pretty eyes. Nyssa wasn’t willing yet to let go of the flutter in her chest that she hadn’t felt in a while.

“I—I’ll make that to go, then?” the barista hazarded a guess.

Nyssa blinked at her. “Yes, please,” she uttered quickly.

It was slightly mortifying when the barista turned away with a smirk. “You haven’t been in here before, have you?” the girl asked as she busied her hands with preparing the drink.

“Coffee shops are not my usual haunt,” Nyssa responded. “I was having a bad day, and I decided that a professionally made hot chocolate would be of more comfort than a homemade one.”

The barista scoffed. “I’m hardly a professional,” she answered. “I’m just a college kid trying to earn some extra cash so that she won’t have to go home for summer break.”

“You’re still in college?”

“Tail end of junior year. Can’t wait to be done and free.”

“Oh,” Nyssa mumbled, turning that information over in her mind.

“So, what was your bad day about?”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Nyssa answered, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m simply not performing as satisfactorily at my new job as I could be.”

“What do you work as?”

“I work in a technology-related field,” Nyssa replied. “It is competitive. My colleague—her skillset far exceeds that of mine. It’s not an issue in and of itself, but the contrast sets apart our work more starkly; she’s on the fast-track to a promotion, whilst I’m headed nowhere.”

“Did you want that promotion?” the barista asked curiously.

Nyssa shook her head. “Felicity deserves it, and I look forward to seeing her take up that position. I merely wish our superior’s choice need not have been that evident.”

“Hey, maybe the competition was tighter than you thought,” the barista said, picking up a paper cup and pulling a marker pen from her apron. “What’s your name?”

“I’m standing right here,” Nyssa said blankly.

“C’mon,” the barista whined. “Play along.”

Sighing, Nyssa obliged; the barista took entirely too long with the process, even after Nyssa’s having spelt out her name, but the cup was eventually filled to the brim and lidded properly.

“Enjoy,” the barista said, sliding the drink across the worktop.

Nyssa lifted the paper cup and paused at the sketch. “A cat?” she asked, perturbed.

The barista nodded. “You remind me of a cat. Don’t worry; it’s a compliment.”

“I fail to see it.”

“I dunno.” The barista shrugged. “They’re just these really smart and graceful animals. I mean, I could cross it out if you want.”

The pretty blonde reached for the cup, but Nyssa felt sudden possessiveness over it; absorbing the transient look of nervousness on the barista’s face, Nyssa shook her head instead.

“I do like cats,” she answered. “I’m … merely surprised that you drew anything on my cup at all.”

“I was trying to cheer you up!”

“Oh.” There it was again, the little flutter in her chest. “That is thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the barista replied shyly.

“What’s your name?” Nyssa asked.

“Sara,” the girl replied.

“It was nice to meet you, Sara.” Nyssa hummed. “Perhaps I might return here after all.”

\-------------------------

Nyssa found herself stepping into the shop twice more; on neither day was Sara there. Nyssa left a little disappointed on both occasions.

\-------------------------

“Bad day?”

“What?” Nyssa asked distractedly, and then frowned at her own lack of manners. “I beg your pardon?”

The pretty barista—Sara—smiled. “Cinnamon hot chocolate? You look like you had a bad day again.”

“Yes, please.” Nyssa tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s been a good day; it’s only that I’ve been informed there will be a work event I need to attend within a few evenings’ time. I fear I lack the appropriate dress.”

“Do you need a dress dress or an outfit dress?”

“Once more—I beg your pardon?”

“Were you talking about a gown or a suit?” Sara asked. “I don’t mean this in a bad way at all, but the way you phrase things leaves a lot open to interpretation.”

“Formal dress,” Nyssa clarified.

“Ooh, that kinda work event, huh?” Sara teased. “Sounds fun. Wear red.”

“Red?” Nyssa asked sceptically.

“Red,” Sara repeated affirmatively. “It sets off your hair and your skin tone…”

“I’ve never had occasion to wear red,” Nyssa said when Sara trailed off with a flushed face.

“Well, you do now,” Sara replied meekly.

“It’s possible,” Nyssa said carefully. So she did—but it wasn’t as if Sara would be there. “Then again, mayhap the better option would be to don a witch’s garment to go with the black cat on my cup.”

Sara laughed aloud, pleasantly startled. “I can’t believe you remember that!”

“I could hardly forget,” Nyssa retorted. “No one’s ever drawn on my cup before.”

“Alright then, I’ll draw you another one now,” Sara proposed, pulling out her marker pen and a paper cup again. She narrowed her eyes and grinned cheekily at Nyssa. “No peeking.”

“No peeking,” Nyssa promised with a chuckle. Short of clambering inelegantly over the worktop, it would be impossible for her to witness Sara’s handiwork from her vantage point anyway, and Sara and she both knew it.

“Oh, that’s $1.20, by the way,” Sara piped up. “I took it out of my pay the last time.”

“My sincerest apologies,” Nyssa blurted with embarrassment, taking the opportunity of searching for her monies to hide her burning cheeks. She thrusted the paper bills at Sara. “That was incredibly remiss of me. Please allow me to recompense you.”

Sara merely flashed her a toothy grin and pulled two of the dollar bills from her palm. “I just thought of it as my treat. Hot chocolate _and_ a cat. It was a good day after all!”

Nyssa felt her heart trip over itself.

“Thank you,” she said, pocketing the change Sara handed her with more than just a little quiet reverence.

Despite their best efforts to the contrary, the hot chocolate still had to be served eventually; when Sara handed the cup over to Nyssa, Nyssa perused it.

“A bird?” she queried.

Sara nodded eagerly. “To feed your cat with; make sure it doesn’t go hungry.”

Nyssa snorted involuntarily. “Are you sure? I think they could be friends.”

“Well—I mean, sure, but you have to make sure you don’t neglect either of them.”

“How do you know I haven’t thrown the cat away?”

“Have you?” Sara asked, slightly crestfallen.

“No,” Nyssa replied, taking pity on her. “Not at all. It currently sits on my desk with not more than a handful of coloured stones inside it to act as paperweight.”

“Oh.” Sara looked surprised by the fact. “Nice.”

“I think so, too. And perhaps that is how I am confident that I will find a home for your little bird,” Nyssa added with a nod. “Have a good day, Sara.”

\-------------------------

“Cinnamon hot chocolate for two, please.”

“Two?” Sara’s head snapped up, her eyes and nostrils both flaring for a moment.

“Two,” Nyssa confirmed with a nod. “I would like you to join me in refreshment, if you may. Customers are always few whilst I’m here, and the opportunity to put your feet up should not be wasted.”

Sara snickered, relief crossing her delicate features. “I hope you don’t mean that literally. I’m not supposed to put my feet up on the counter.”

“You know as well as I do what I meant,” Nyssa chided good-humouredly. “Have some hot chocolate with me, Sara.”

Sara chewed on her bottom lip. With a tiny smile, she held out her hand. “Fine. But you gotta give me the cash first ‘cause I’m _definitely_ going to forget to ask you to pay if we’re gonna be standing here talking for an hour.”

Nyssa let out an astonished bark of laughter. “I would remember!” she protested, handing over the exact balance all the same. “Have you so little faith in my integrity?”

“ _No,_ ” Sara asserted. “But I’m totally the feather-brained kid. Just ask my parents.”

Nyssa sniggered and shook her head. They were silent for a long moment as Sara put together the drinks; only when each had a beverage in hand and Sara was once again slumped lazily into the counters did they resume their conversation.

“Where’s the bird now, anyway?”

“Oh.” Nyssa looked away, biting back the self-conscious smile which threatened to loom. “It’s on my desk as well.”

“What’s in it?”

“A sponge…” Nyssa mumbled reluctantly. “Some paper-and-wire flowers.”

“Really? It’s a flower pot now?”

“You said to make sure I did not neglect either of them!” Nyssa exclaimed. “I’m merely following your instructions down to a T by keeping it fed. Some birds do eat flowers.”

“And do some cats eat stones?”

“No,” Nyssa replied with mock resentment. “It’s simply that I regretfully lack the abundance of mice.”

Sara burst into a fit of giggles. Nyssa watched the petite girl orient away from her as if compelled to hide the mirth, and it made her heart ache irrationally; she wanted to see the expression on Sara’s face when Sara laughed.

It would no doubt be beautiful.

Sara looked at her again, eyes sparkling and cheeks distinctly pink-hued. “This is kinda weird,” Sara said.

“How so?” Nyssa questioned.

“I’ve never done this before,” Sara admitted, visibly taking in a deep breath. “This kind of banter, I mean—with girls. It was always easier with guys.”

“O-oh,” Nyssa stuttered. “Oh, I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“No, you didn’t at all.” Sara shook her head. “I just hope I didn’t overstep with you, y’know—‘cause I _really like_ you. But … yeah.”

As if that were explanation.

Nyssa thought it had to be, though, as there was the slightest dint to Sara’s brow even though the other woman was still smiling at her. Giving the blonde a single nod, Nyssa extracted her mobile phone from her pocket.

“I did end up wearing red to the work event, after all,” she said, unlocking the device and searching for the camera roll. “My colleague—having been clued in that the colour of my dress had been by your suggestion—insisted on keeping up an _endless_ chain of pictures that night so that I would—and I quote—‘have the chance to knock coffee-shop girl’s socks off.’ Would you like to see?”

Sara gaped at her.

Nyssa shrugged. “I _am_ preening the slightest bit,” she confessed obligingly. “I never was the best at subtle courting. Nonetheless—could you blame me for still trying?”

And then she heard it: The musical twitter, a little incredulous and so very delighted. Sara’s chin creased with a dimple as she ordered Nyssa, “Show me.”

\-------------------------

“Do you think it’s weird that there are never any other customers around when you’re here?”

“Are you implying that it is more than coincidental?” Nyssa asked, arching a surprised eyebrow in Sara’s direction. “I think it is merely the time of day that my work schedule so accommodatingly provides us with.”

Sara laughed. “Actually, I _just_ meant that it’s weird. But c’mon, Nys _sa_ , be a little romantic.”

Her name, said so playfully and with such fondness, drew a genuine smile from Nyssa. “I have two paper cups on my desk; one, even home to a gathering of paper flowers. Is that not enough for you?”

“It’s more than I’ve ever gotten,” Sara said thoughtfully. “Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Will you go to dinner with me, Nyssa?”

Nyssa drew back to take in her companion’s visage: The happy gaze; the coloured and upturned cheeks; the brilliant, uninhibited smile.

It was never in question what her answer would be.

“It would be my greatest honour, Sara.”

* * *

Crossposted to: [Tumblr](http://anonymous033.tumblr.com/post/120972623297/sketches-a-nysara-nyssara-one-shot-au-prompted)


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